Attitude is an important component to keep in check as your band starts to have some pull. Acting like a whiny diva is a surefire way to get yourself banned from venues, overlooked by promoters and despised by local media. If you are an unsigned or independent act, you have no place thinking that you are better than anyone else by making other's lives annoying. Just because you have some catchy tunes and your friends like them doesn't mean jack squat.
People in the music business have enough ego on their own and will not want to put up with yours, unless you truly are God's gift to music and are selling lots and lots of records. If you are hassle to deal with or have too many demands, chances are they won't want to work with you. The rule of thumb is: unless you have something that they need, don't act like it. If your band brings 400 people to a show, then you have grounds to demand from the venue. If your band brings 10, you don't. So don't be a jerk about no sound check, bad on stage sound or crappy pay outs.
This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2009.